Data shows hospital admittance for drug-related mental health issues

THE NHS has revealed how many people were admitted to hospital with drug-related mental health problems.
Queen Alexandra Hospital Picture: Shaun Roster PhotographyQueen Alexandra Hospital Picture: Shaun Roster Photography
Queen Alexandra Hospital Picture: Shaun Roster Photography

The data from NHS England reveals the admissions to Queen Alexandra Hospital, in Cosham, and other units across Hampshire.

It looks at how many patients were treated where the main reason they were at hospital was for drug-related mental health problems but also where it was a contributing factor to their admittance.

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In 2015/16, 25 people were admitted to QA Hospital where drug-related mental health problems were the primary reason for their visit. This is compared to 39 in 2014/15.

The figure has more than halved in the last two years with 63 people admitted for drug-related mental health and behavioural disorders in 2013/14.

Of the 25 patients, 18 were men and seven were women. For the last two years, the majority of the cases in Portsmouth related to men.

The data, broken down by local authority, showed that for the area covered by Hampshire County Council there was also a decrease in admissions.

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For 2015/16 there were 129 patients compared to 152 in 2014/15. Following the Portsmouth trend, the year before of 2014/15 was higher with 166 admissions.

Councillor Luke Stubbs, cabinet member for adult social care and public health, welcomed the drop but said it was difficult to say if this is an ongoing trend.

‘Mental health services are stretched and any fall in demand helps,’ he said.

‘The numbers are small so it’s difficult to say what the long running trend is.’

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For hospital admissions where drug-related mental health problems were a contributory factor, the Portsmouth figure has increased slightly since 2013/14.

In 2015/16, 438 people were admitted which was the same for the year before. But in 2013/14, 415 people were admitted.

In the rest of Hampshire, 1,129 people were admitted in 2015/16 compared to 1,082 in 2014/15 and 1,034 the year before.